Solo-playing automatic piano and the like



E. S. CODER.

SOLO PLAYING AUTOMATIC PIANO AND THE LIKE.

. APPLICATION FILED APR.24, 1920. 1,363,839. Patented Dec. 28,1920.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1. Fug. 1

% 55 H lNI/E/VTOR MWWXB WITNESSES:

E. S. CODER.

SOLO PLAYING AUTOMATIC PIANO AND THE LIKE.

A P P L l C A T l 0 N F l L E D A PR. 24, 1920. 1,363,839, Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

v 3 SSSSSS S EEEE 2.

WITNESSES: IN [/5 N TOR E. S. CODER. SOLO PLAYING AUTOMATIC PIANO AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1920.

1,363,839. Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fig. (a.

WITNESSES: INVE/VTUR ELMER S. CODER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SOLO-PLAYING AUTOMIATIC PIANO AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed April 24, 1920. Serial No. 376,324.

To all to 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER S. Comm, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvanla, have invented new and useful Improvements in Solo-Playing Automatic Pianos and the like, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an improved construction of a pneumatic player action for pianos and like instruments, to produce music in two parts, as for instance melody and accompaniment, some notes or phrases being automatically accentuated, so as to make some notes more prominent than others, thereby bringing out solo effects. lWleans is also pro 'ided for playing either the accompaniment notes, or the solo notes, separately and without the other part of the music.

It consists of the features of construction and their combinations shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a fore-andaft vertical section of a player piano embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through one of the sets of secondary valves. Fig. 8 is an upper plan view of same. Fig. 4: is a front elevation of a portion of a tracker board. Fig. 5 1s an isometrical view of the means for producing the high and low vacuums for operating the action. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on theline 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a cut-off valve box with the cover removed. Fig. 8 is an upper elevation of the arm 75 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a sectional view through one row of vent tubes in a vent bar.

In the drawings, corresponding parts relating to the high and low vacuum actions are designated b like reference numerals, with the sufiixes I and L respectively, and in the description, the reference numeral without the suflix is used when either one will answer to the description.

Referring to the drawings, above the keybed 36, which extends from end to end of the piano case, at 28 are shown the motor or striking pneumatics, arranged in several banks, of which the respective neumatics are laterally overlapped or staggered with respect to one another, so as to permit them to be made of greater width than the piano keys and still be so positioned that their pitman rods 38 may act upwardly on the respective members 89 of the piano action, said pneumatics being conveniently supported by the bars 37. There is one motor pneumatic provided for each key of the keyboard within the range that it is desired to operate and control automatically by the pneumatic action. Each motor pneumatic is connected by the duct 27 to its respective secondary valve chamber 18. In the vacuum chests 31 there is maintained a partial vacuum or rarefaction of the air, that in chest 31H being of a higher degree of rare iaction than that in chest 31L, such relative vacuums being maintained by means of any desired form of pumpers and reservoirs, one form being shown in Fig. 5. Each mopneumatic may be placed in commu1ii ration with the vacuum chest 31H through its respective valve port 33H, with the outer air at atmospheric pressure through valve ports 32 and 34C, and with vacuum chest 31L through valve ports 34: and 33L. The chain bers behind pouches 29H and 29L communicate with primary valves through the tubes 161-1 and 16L. In the tracker board lO there are provided two mouths or orifices for each of the eighty-eight notes on the piano, or for each note within the range that it is desired to operate pneumatically, cut on a smaller scale than usual so that two of the mouths will occupy substantially the same amount of linear'space on the mouthpiece regularly required for one mouth.

Assuming the various chambers and trunks to be under a state of vacuum, when a perforation of a controller sheet 1 registers with the mouth 2 of one of the ducts of the tracker board, air at atmospheric pressure is admitted to the tube connecting the mouth with its particular primary valve pouch 15 through the vent bar l, relieving the vacuum behind the pouch, whereupon the suction of its respective vacuum chest 12 causes the valve pouch to force open the valve 10, allowing atmospheric air to enter the tube 16. The vacuum in chaml er 3O hen in turn being relieved, the pouch 29 operates the valve 17, closing the aperture to the atmosphere and opening the port 33 so that the suction from chest 31 may collapse the motor pneumatic 28 and operate its part of the piano action. Thus if a perforation in the controller sheet registers with a mouth in the tracker board allowing air to enter behind the pouch 29H, the high tension valve 17H will operate and the motor pneumatic will be collapsed by the high vacuum in chest Sill with more force than it a perforation had registered with a mouth controlling the pouch 29L and valve 17L oi the low tension action, owing to the greater rarefaction of the air in chest 31H than in chest 81L. When the controller sheet again covers the said orifice in the tracker board, the small amount of air left in the tube 3 is rarefied by he vent 5 'n the vent tube 95 and the atmospheric pressure on valve 10 causes it to close, restoring communication between tube 16 and the vacuum cham ber 12, reestablisl'iing the vacuum behind the valve pouch 29. The atmospheric pressure on valve 17 then causes it to open the port 32 or 84s, closing the port 33, the air entering the motor pneumatic 2S and relieving the vacuum therein, allowing the pneu matic to expand. The tubes 3 connecting each tracker orifice with its particular primary valve pouch a l communicate with the vent bar a, which is conveniently placed as shown in Fig. 1 so that the vents may be readily accessible for inspection and cleaning, its vacuum chamberli being divided into two separate ant distinct parts by the wall 94. The alternate tubes 3 from the tracker board communicate with the same compartment in the vent bar, the evenly numbered tubes passing through the chamber 6 con nected to tube 8L and the oddly numbered tubes passing through the opposite chamber rarefied by tube 8H, so that by cutting of. the vacuum supply to one chamber of the ent bar, every alternate tube will be affected. The tubes 8H and SL are extensions of the tubes ll and 4&2 shown in Fig. 5, leading from the cut-off valve b 2; on the main high vacuum trunk to the primary valve chambers and 12H, tube 8H branching from tube 42, and tube 8L branching from tube 4:1. Each vent tube 95 has a small vent or leak port 5 communicating with its chamber 6, so as to reestablish the partial vacuum behind its particular pri mary valve pouch upon the closing of its orifice in the tracker board by the controller sheet. Tie primary valves shown in Fig. 1, there being two separate sets, one to; the low tension accompaniment action and one for the high tension solo action. The vacuum chests 12H and 12L connected separately to the main high 'acuuin trunk 88 through the tubes 41 and p vidcd with the cut-off valves 80 and shown in Fig. 7, there being normally maintained a relatively high degree of rarefaction in each of said chests, to aid the valves in responding promptly to the controller sheet. 7

When it desired to play one part only of the music, as the accompaniment without the solo part, or the solo without the accompaniment, one of he control levers 59 is placed in the left position shown, the other one, controlling the part to be played, being moved to the right, opening its particular cutoll valve by the link 63, the lever 62 and the valve rod 6 3%, thus connecting its primary vacui in chest and vent bar cham- 1 the tube the unused action being cut oil lroin communication with its vacuuiu supply so as to remain inoperative. Usually both parts of the music are to be played t "other; then both levers are moved to the i ht.

The object or the disk Zel on the valve stem 23L is to prevent the opening of the opposite valve 17H when its chest 31H is under atmospheric air pressure in playing the accompaniment alone; otherwise the suction through valve port PK-il; when valve 17L operates would probably cause valve 1TH to seat itself over port and cut off comnunication with the motor pneumatic 28. This dish a so serves to prevent both valves beirg open at the same time, each valve when open locking the opposite valve in its close position.

it and are shown the valves for opening conmiunication direct from the main vacuum trunk to the motor when rowinding the controller sheet, so as to speed up the pneumatic motor (not shown) and also give it increased power. The control lover 59L for playing the accompaniment slii ies the valve 69 on its seat when operated, li ll the control lever olll'l for playing the solo part moves valve 0 when operated. it vii. be noted that either valve will close communication through ports 92 and 93 between the vacuum trunk 88 and the motor duct 71, and that both must be withdrawn from their ports before the increased vacuum will become effective on the motor, the reduced vacuum for operating the motor passing ordinarily through a pressure gov ernor and a volume regulator, not shown, as is well understood.

Both the control levers also actuate the rod 6'? and arm ?2 through the links 65 and the bar (36, thus turning the vertical rock shaft M in its bearings and moving the "irairinission reverse lever 77 through the rm H) and the horizontal reciproca'tory rod thereby reversing the direction of travel of the controller sheet over the tracker lIlOUtlljDIlGCQ. it one control lever only is m ved, the arm will (.iQSCl'llJG the are from to position shown by solid lines in Fig. 8, moving the rod 76 the distance A re quired to rev rse the movement of the controller sheet, while it both control levers are moved the arm 75 will simply be moved to B, which will not however cause any further effective endwise movement of the rod 76 on account of the arc of movement being practically at right angles to the rods length.

To decrease the vacuum for the accompaniment action, the moving wall 58 of the low tension bellows is provided with a valve 89, supported on a spring 90, adapted for closing the port 87 between said bellows and the main vacuum trunk 88 when the bellows is collapsed. The vacuum in this low tension bellows will therefore be no greater than that secured through the expanding action of its spring 57, Fig. 5, as will be readily understood by one skilled in the art, and the vacuum for operating the low tension action is obtained directly from this bellows through the port 83, isolated from the chamber 88 of the main vacuum trunk by the block 91 as shown in Fig. 6, the tube 35L leading directly from the cut-off valve box to the vacuum chamber of the low tension action. For varying the pressure of this low vacuum for the accompaniment action and to keep it in proper ratio with the higher vacuum for the high tension or solo action, so there will be ordinarily very little difference between the loudness of the notes in the solo and the accompaniment when the music is played very softly, but considerably more difference between the strength of the solo and accompaniment notes when the music is played loudly, an arm or abutment is provided at 56 for altering the position of the end the spring 57 opposite to the end connected with the moving wall 58 of the bellows, to give the spring more or less tension as required. The rock shaft 55 is turned in its bearings by the arm 5st, moving the arm 56 and thereby altering the tension on the spring 57. Connected to the arm 51 by the rod 19 is a pneumatic 52 conveniently fastened to the bottom of the keybed or otherwise secured in position so as to operate the arm. The tube 53 communicates between the said pneumatic and the main high vacuum trunk, so that the greater the vacuum in the main trunk the stronger the tension on the spring and consequently the higher the vacuum in the low tension bel lows. The pneumatic 52 should preferably be so proportioned in size, and the spring 57 in strength, as to give the desired ratio be tween, the vacuums in the high tension and the low tension systems. The lever i3 is provided for varying the vacuum pressure in the low tension system by operating on the rod 49 through the roclr shaft 55 the arm l5, link 47 and bar -16, to enable the operator of the player to manually control the loudness of the accompaniment notes if so desired. The two end equalizers or bellows 96 and 99 shown in Fig. 5 are for equalizing and steadying the vacuum pressure in the main vacuum trunk, while 97 and 98 are the pumpers, as will be readily understood from the drawings. Each equalizer 96 and 99 has a spring 79 tending to force it open, the spring on one equalizer being stronger than that on the other, while the pumpers 97 and 98 are of course provided with springs (not shown) for keeping them closed until opened by foot pressure on the pedals.

In'addition to the special controller rolls required for properly operating this player, ordinary rolls may be employed by using only the high tension action, the ordinary roll so tracking as to bring its perforations in line with the alternate mouths of the tracker mouthpiece, the other mouths being non-effective.

By providing two independent pneumatic actions for operating each motor pneumatic, and providing in the same tracker board on dilferent areas thereof mouths for controlling each of said actions, it is possible to play a piece'of music comprising a solo and accompaniment, or any two parts that are to be diiferently expressed, with the different expressions derived from the two independent actions respectively, and without employing other devices for modifying the operation of the pneumatic action in order to produce such difference in expression.

In any instance in which the solo and accompaniment contain at any point the same note, it is possible to so perforate the controller sheet as to operate either the solo action or the accompaniment action very slightly in advance of the other to play the note with its right expression, the action first used locking the valve of the other action and preventing it from operating. Then if either the solo or the accompaniment is played alone it will be complete, while if both parts are played together the note occurring in both will be played with its proper expression.

The casings of the valve chambers in the metal construction shown 6011\"611- iently attached to the vacuum chests 3i the base inserts 26., said bases also sewin as seats for the valves 17. Felt washers placed at the points 19 for making the connection airtight. ll ith this arrangement each set of cash s may be readily taken from its place for examination or for inspection of the valves, without in any way disturbing the others, simply by removing the casing from its bases. Then by removing the separate valve pouch casings 30 the valves and bases may be withdrawn for adjustment or replacement.

I claim:

1. In an automatic musical instrument the combination with a hammer action a "i. a motor pneumatic operatively connected therewith, of a duct leading from said motor pneumatic, a valve chamber communicateases-s iug therewith having two valve ports placed opposite each other, a source of vacuum in communication with one port, a second valve chamber communicatii witl the other port, also having two v lve ports placed opposite each other, one of the latter ports being so positioned as to admit air at atmospheric pressure, a source of vacuum of different rareiaction than the first source communicating with the remaining port, a valve for each chamber ad ptec tor clos ing alternately the two opposite ports there of, a diaphragm or pouch operatively con nected with each of said valves, a tracker board provided with a mouth in communication with each 01 the diaphragms, and means connecting the latter with their respective tracker mouths.

2. I an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a hammer action and a motor pneumatic operatively co mected therewith, of a duct leading from said motor pneumatic, a valve chamber in communication therewith having two valve ports. a source oi vacuum in communication with one of said ports oi said chan'iher, a second valve chamber in communication with the other port also having two valve ports, one of the latter ports being so positioned as to admit ail at atmospheric pressure, a soun-e of vacuum of different rarefaction than the first mentioned source communicating with the remaining port, valve for each rim 1- ber adapted for closing alternately the two ports thereof, a diaphragm or pouch operatively connected with each of said valves, a primary valve in communicatizm with each pouch or diaphragm having two valve ports, a source of vacuum in communication with one port, the remaining port being so positioned as to admit air at atmospheric pressure, a valve ada ited for closing alternately the two opposite ports thereof, a pouch or diaphragm for operating said valve, tracker board provided with a mouth in communication with each of sr primary valves, a duct connecting each 0 lice of said tracker board with its respective primary valve diaphragm, and a leak port in sait duct with a source of vacuum communicating with said leak port.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a hammer action and a motor pneumatic oper.' l connected th rewith, of a duct leadin om said motor umatic, a valve chamber (ffllflll'llllllfii 'ng therewith, a source oi vacuum in communication with said valve chamber, second valve chan'iber in communication h said first alve chamber, a source of vacuum of different rare'l'action than the mentioned source communicating with said second valve chamber, which also communicates with the air atmospheric pressure, a suitable valve provided for each chamber for closing alternately the two valve ports thereof, a valve pouch or diaphragm for operating each of said valves, a primary valve communicating with each diaphragm through a duct, a tracker board provided with a mouth communicating with each primary valve, a duct connecting each mouth of said tracker board with its respective primary valve pouch or diaphragm, a leak port in each duct, a source oi vacuum in communication with said leak port, primary valves in two separate and distinct systems, one system for operating said high vacuum secondary valves and the other system for operating said low vacuum secondary valves, separate means of communication between the vacuum chest of each system of primary valves, and the main high vacuum trunk or reservoir, cut-oil valves and control levers to shut off or make inoperative separately each system of primary valves with their respective secondary valves.

i. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a hammer action and a motor pneumatic operatively connected therewith, of two separate and distinct systems of secondary valves, each with its individual system of primary valves, substan lially as described in claim 1, a main high vacuum trunk, communication from 'd trunk to both sets of primary valves and one set of secondary valves, through separate ducts, a low vacuum reservoir in comunication through a duct with the remaining set of secondary valves, a set of cut-oil valves for shutting off or making inoperative separately and independently each syseiu secondary valves with its respective j 1llI1?-.l:,* valves, control levers for operating m h set 01: cut-oil valves, and means connect- ,9; each control lever with its respective lves. 5. lp an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a hammer action, a motor pneumatic operatively connected therewith, and a duct communicating with a system of high and loW vacuum valves, of a low vacuum supply reservoir, a port leading therefrom to the main high vacuum trunk, a valve attached to the moving wall of said reservoir for shutting off communication through said port, a supplemental aperture provided with a cut-off valve and communicating through a tube or duct with the low vacuum secondary valve chest, a spring for operating said moving wall of said reservoir against the vacuum tending to close it, a rock shaft and arm for varying tension of said spring and thereby the vacuum pressure in said reservoir and its connected low vacuum secondary valve chest, an arm and rod for turning said rock shaft in its bear ings, and a control lever for operating said rod manually.

6. In an automatic musical instrument, the

combination with a hammer action, a motor pneumatic operatively connected therewith, and a duct communicating with a system of high and low vacuum valves, of a low vacuum supply reservoir, a port leading therefrom to the main high vacuum trunk, a valve attached to the moving wall of said reservoir for shutting off communication through said port, a supplemental aperture provided with a cut-off valve and communicating through a tube or duct with the low vacuum secondary valve chest, a spring for operating said moving wall of said reservoir against the vacuum tending to close it, a rock shaft and arm for varying tension of said spring and thereby the vacuum pressure in sald reservoir and its connected low vacuum secondary valve chest, a rod and arm for turning said rock shaft in its bearings, and a motor pneumatic communicating with the main high vacuum trunk adapted for moving said rod against the action of said spring so as to vary the vacuum pressure in said reservoir in ratio with the vacuum pressure in said main high vacuum trunk.

7. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a series of high and low vacuum valves and motor pneumatics communicating therewith, operatively connected to the hammer action, of a tracker having a plurality of mouths and ducts cut on a smaller scale than usual but spaced within the same total linear length of tracker mouthpiece, two orifices provided for each separate note within the range that it is de sired to operate pneumatically, the evenly numbered mouths communicating with one action and the odd mouths with the other action, to permit some notes being played more prominently than others by so locating their perforations in a controller sheet as to play the prominent notes on the high vacuum action while the less prominent notes are played by the low vacuum action, thereby accentuating the solo notes and also permitting the playing of a standard music roll perforated on a larger scale to fit an ordinary tracker mouthpiece, by using the alter nate mouths of the present tracker and employing one system of valves only, the other system being shut off from communication with its source of vacuum so as to remain inoperative.

In an automatic musical instrument, having separate high and low vacuum systems for operating its motor pneumatics, with control levers and valves for cutting off communication of each system separately and independently from its source of vacuum supply, a vertical rock shaft, an arm attached to said shaft, a rod connected to said arm, a bar attached at its center to said rod, links connecting each end of said bar to said control levers. one lever to each end, a second arm on said rock shaft in such position that movement of either control lever ,to move one cut-01f valve from its port will cause the s cond arm of said rock shaft to operate the usual horizontal reciprocatory rod and transmission reverse lever the distance required to feed the controller sheet over the tracker mouthpiece in the direction required for operating the action, while the movement of both control levers to move both outoff valves from their ports will merely continue the movement of said rock shaft arm at right angles to the effective movement of its horizontal reciprocatory rod, causing no further operative movement of said transmission reverse lever.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twenty-third day of April, 1920.

ELMER S. GODEB.

\Vitnesses Josnrn A. SHUFF, JOHN B. GLENN. 

